Hours before the resignation by Cheif Minister Nitish Kumar on Wednesday evening, the RJD legislature party meeting reiterated its stand that Deputy CM Tejashwi Prasad Yadav would not resign and that the grand alliance will remain intact. RJD supremo lalu Prasad clearly said CM Nitish Kumar not even once asked Tejashwi’s resignation and accused media of repeatedly raising resignation issue. “RJD will continue supporting each move of the Government. But Tejashwi will not go to explain his position. He will speak out where he is supposed to,” said lalu and made fun of JD(U) spokesmen saying “Is JD(U) a policeIJ”
“It had been intact, it is intact and it will remain intact. The conspiracy of the BJP to break out alliance will never succeed,” said Tejashwi while hitting at the Centre and the BJP, “Tejashwi ek bahana hai, asal me Mahagathbandhan nishana hai” (Tejashwi is just an excise the main target is grand alliance).
JD(U) secretary general K C Tyagi very frankly said that had Teejashwi been in JD(U) he would have been removed similarly as many Ministers of the party were removed earlier on being named in cases.
Speaking to the media after the meeting, a defiant Tejashwi said that his party would do nothing which leads to crack. “I am also concerned about the image of Nitish ji, my own and my father’s and my party’s. But see who is trying to damage the image of the Mahagathbandhan and its leaders. It is BJP leaders who are indulging in character assassination and falsely implicating me in cases and defame me,” said the Deputy CM and asserted that there was problem in the alliance and “there is no need to give explanation every now and then.”
Denying any communication gap between lalu and Nitish, he said they spoke on phone last evening. About clarifying his position in the public, he said he would soon begin tour of the district for the proposed August 27 rally and would tell the public about the conspiracies of the BJP at the rally. Asked if Nitish would attend his rally, he quipped, “He will be the host (of the rally).”
Tejashwi said he would not create any hurdle in the CBI probe and extend all cooperation to the agency. “It is a legal and sub judiced matter but BJP leader Sushil Kumar Modi is trying to influence it by making public allegations. Everybody knows the case is out of political vendetta. lalu in his inimitable style showed hairs on his chest and chuckled, “Modi ke badan me rowan nahi hai” (Modi has no body hairs).
Meanwhile, former CM and president of Hindustani Awam Morcha (HAM) party Jitan Ram Manjhi made an interesting statement. He said, “If lalu and Nitish can come together why not Manjhi and Nitish.” Manjhi is believed to be sulking in the NDA and is suspected to break ties with the BJP. However, he added that he would prevail on the NDA leaders to save the Nitish led Government even if there was any threat to its existence.
Even as lalu and Tejashwi maintained restrain while talking to media people, RJD boss’s close aide Shivanand Tewari made vitriolic attack on Nitish. “I know Nitish and his zero tolerance policy very well. If I opened my mouth many skeletons will fall from the cupboard and Nitish will have no reply,” said Tewari in a warning tone. JD(U) spokesman Sanjay Singh branded him a mental case.